Mickey Mousekefan

Nothing Can Stop Us Now! Let’s wish Chris Diamantopoulos a very happy 51st birthday!

Born in Toronto and of Greek descent, Chris began his career at just nine years old, appearing in television commercials and professional theater productions. From there, he expanded across television, film, and stage work, eventually taking on Broadway with leading roles such as Ethan Girard in The Full Monty and Marius Pontmercy in Les Misérables.

While many audiences may recognize Chris for portraying Russ Hanneman in Silicon Valley and Moe Howard in The Three Stooges, Disney fans know him as the fifth primary voice actor to portray Mickey Mouse. Although Bret Iwan remains the official voice of Mickey, Chris was brought on for Paul Rudish’s Mickey Mouse shorts because his interpretation closely resembled the energetic style of how Walt Disney originally voiced the character. His performance perfectly complemented the retro-inspired tone of the shorts. Chris later reprised the role in The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse and the Disney100 short Once Upon a Studio in 2023.

Chris has also voiced Mickey in Disney Parks and experiences, including the AquaMouse water coaster aboard select Disney Cruise Line ships and Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway.

Beyond Mickey, Chris has appeared in several other Disney projects. In the 2017 revival of DuckTales, he voiced both Storkules and Darkwing Duck. He also guest-starred as Brock Thunderstrike in Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, Ed Zecutive in Big City Greens, Ezekiel “Tug” Tugbottom in The Ghost and Molly McGee, Sasquatch in ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series, and Burt in Hamster & Gretel. He additionally lent his voice to Frank Heffley in the Disney+ animated adaptations of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid franchise.

Have a very wonderful birthday, Chris!

5 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 135

Mickey Mousekefan

Wishing a happy heavenly birthday to Russi Taylor.

Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Russi left a remarkable mark on the world of animation, with a career spanning over 40 years and an extraordinary range of beloved characters. She began her career appearing as Ted and Georgette’s baby on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and went on to thrive in animation with a lineup of iconic roles.

She was the original voice of Strawberry Shortcake, Pac-Baby in Pac-Man, Pebbles Flintstone in The Flintstone Comedy Show, Birdie the Early Bird in McDonaldland commercials, Martin Prince on The Simpsons, Baby Gonzo in the original Muppet Babies, and Huey, Dewey, and Louie and Webby Vanderquack in the original DuckTales. She also took over the role of Fauna in various Disney projects, such as Sofia the First, and voiced Drizella Tremaine and the Fairy Godmother in the Cinderella sequels.

Most notably, Russi became the official voice of Minnie Mouse. She made her debut as Minnie in 1987 with DTV’s Doggone Valentine, and her first major project in the role was Totally Minnie in 1988, where she met her true love, Wayne Allwine. Together, as the voices of Mickey Mouse and Minnie, the duo were named Disney Legends in 2008.

Russi would go on to voice Minnie in nearly every project through Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, having recorded her dialogue before her passing in 2019.

She poured her heart into everything she did. With every performance as Minnie, she brought warmth, joy, and charm that made the character feel truly alive. Even now, her spirit continues to shine through every smile, giggle, and magical moment Minnie shares with the world. She helped shape Minnie into the icon she is today.

She was, and always will be, Totally Minnie.

Happy birthday, Russi. We miss you every day.

1 week ago | [YT] | 153

Mickey Mousekefan

So, it’s officially May somehow. And I know a lot of you are probably expecting something big from me for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse’s 20th anniversary. Here’s the deal: Unfortunately, due to life, I really don’t have enough time to craft something I envision for May 5th. However, I will once again have the good old "On This Day in Mickey Mouse History" short coming up. But don’t worry, something special is in the works for a later date. That’s all for now. See ya real soon.

1 week ago | [YT] | 182

Mickey Mousekefan

On this day in Mickey Mouse history, the Sensational Six made their long-awaited return to television with the premiere of Mickey Mouse Works on Disney’s One Saturday Morning block on ABC in 1999.

Developed by Bobs Gannaway and Tony Craig, the series was part of a broader effort to reconnect Mickey and the gang with a new generation, while also searching for a stable television home for the character. With backing from Michael Eisner and Roy E. Disney, the team invested more time and resources than was typical for a standard animated series. The show drew inspiration from the classic theatrical shorts of decades past, blending quick “gag” cartoons with longer, story-driven segments ranging from six to twelve minutes. This flexible format allowed for a wide variety of characters and storytelling styles.

Ultimately, the series succeeded in delivering a polished, updated collection of Disney shorts featuring the classic crew in vibrant, traditionally animated stories, but it struggled to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Despite earning several Annie Awards and Emmy Awards, it was canceled after just 18 months. However, under the vision of Barry Blumberg, then vice president of Walt Disney Television Animation, Bobs and Tony returned as executive producers on Disney’s House of Mouse, a follow-up series that gave these shorts a second life and a wider audience.

1 week ago | [YT] | 137

Mickey Mousekefan

Wishing a Happy 71st Birthday to soon-to-be Disney Legend, Eric Goldberg!

Born in Levittown, Pennsylvania, Eric developed an interest in animation at an early age. He began sketching cartoons at just four years old, created flipbooks by six, and was producing prize-winning Super 8 films by thirteen. He later studied illustration at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, while also taking courses in animation and film.

Eric entered the industry as a full-time assistant animator under Academy Award-winning director Richard Williams on Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure, where he worked alongside animation legends Tissa David, Emery Hawkins, and Art Babbitt. After the film’s completion, he moved to London to continue working at Williams’ studio. He eventually founded his own studio, Pizazz Pictures, where he directed animated television commercials using a wide range of techniques, including cel animation, brush painting, stop-motion, pixilation, colored-pencil rendering, live-action/animation blends, and digital compositing.

As Disney entered a new era of success, directors Ron Clements and John Musker recruited Eric to return to the United States. He soon became the designer and supervising animator of the Genie in 1992’s Aladdin, bringing the character to life with a comedic style inspired by Robin Williams, whom he also helped convince to take on the role.

Following this breakout success, Eric continued to leave his mark across Disney Animation. He co-directed Pocahontas, served as the supervising animator for Phil in 1997’s Hercules, a character inspired by and voiced by Danny DeVito, and directed the “Rhapsody in Blue” segment in Fantasia 2000, as well as contributing to “The Carnival of the Animals, Finale.”

His later work includes contributions to the visual development of Dinosaur (2000) and Wreck-It Ralph (2012), animation on The Fox and the Hound 2 (2006), and character design and lead animation for Louis in The Princess and the Frog (2009). He also served as the lead animator for Rabbit in Winnie the Pooh (2011), supervised the hand-drawn animation for Maui’s tattoos in Moana (2016) and its 2024 sequel, contributed additional animation to Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018), and returned to hand-drawn animation for Wish (2023) and Zootopia 2 (2025).

Eric has also played a key role in many Mickey Mouse-related projects in recent years. His work includes animation for Walt Disney World’s Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros attraction (2007), How to Hook Up Your Home Theater (2007)—Goofy’s first solo cartoon in over 40 years, serving as head of animation for the Oscar-nominated Mickey Mouse short Get a Horse! (2013), and directing and animating How to Stay at Home starring Goofy (2021). He also contributed to Mickey in a Minute from Mickey: The Story of a Mouse (2022), animated the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit short (2022), the first dedicated Disney cartoon starring the character in over 95 years, and worked on the Disney100 short Once Upon a Studio (2023). Most recently, he wrote, directed, and led animation for the custom Hot Ones episode featuring Donald Duck in 2024.

This year, Eric will be honored as a Disney Legend at D23, the company’s highest recognition.

Eric, have the most magical birthday ever! We ain’t ever had a friend like you.

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 98

Mickey Mousekefan

Mouseke-ready, mouseke-set, here we go! Mickey and the gang are back for all-new adventures in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+!

The final eight episodes of the first season are now streaming on Disney+ and DisneyNOW!

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 201

Mickey Mousekefan

The new batch of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+ episodes drops in just a few hours on Disney+, and it includes Episodes 27 and 28!

E27: Donald's Clubhouse Sleepover (sneak peek image in this post)
E28: The Candy Cottage

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 151

Mickey Mousekefan

On this day in Mickey Mouse history, Mickey made his exit from theaters with his final short, 1953’s The Simple Things.

Directed by Charles Nichols, this cartoon follows Mickey and Pluto enjoying a relaxing day at the beach while fishing, until things begin to take a turn. Pluto ends up dealing with a feisty clam that gets stuck in his mouth, and after it starts sneezing uncontrollably, it wakes up a seagull eager to eat it. After missing out on the clam, the seagull turns its attention to Mickey and Pluto, stealing their last sausage link and their fish bait. Just when they think they’re rid of it, the seagull returns with backup to steal the entire bait bucket, sending Mickey and Pluto running off before they can be attacked.

As the final short produced by Walt Disney himself, and the last to feature Jimmy MacDonald as the voice of Mickey, this cartoon marked the end of an era for Mickey’s theatrical run. By this point, Mickey had shifted away from his earlier mischievous personality into more of a “straight man” role, while characters like Donald Duck and Goofy were rising in popularity. At the same time, Walt Disney had begun focusing more on producing animated feature films, making Mickey less of a priority.

Although Mickey remained a presence on merchandise and television, he wouldn’t return to theaters until 1983 with the release of Mickey’s Christmas Carol.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 93

Mickey Mousekefan

Happy golden 15th anniversary to my favorite Disney Channel Original Movie, Lemonade Mouth!

Released in 2011, the film is based on the novel of the same name by Mark Peter Hughes. It went on to become the third most-watched DCOM premiere of the year, drawing 5.7 million viewers, with DVR viewership later boosting that total to 7.1 million.

This empowering film follows five high school students, Olivia White, Wendell “Wen” Gifford, Stella Yamada, Mohini “Mo” Banjaree, and Charles “Charlie” Delgado, who meet in detention and form a band. Together, they stand up for what they believe in, overcome both individual and shared struggles, and ultimately find their own voices.

Production began in 2010, with filming taking place in Albuquerque. Directed by Patricia Riggen and written by April Blair, the movie stars Bridgit Mendler, Adam Hicks, Hayley Kiyoko, Naomi Scott, and Blake Michael.

With strong reception from both critics and audiences, the film has been widely praised for its memorable music. Songs like “Somebody,” “Determinate,” and “Breakthrough” all charted on the Billboard Hot 100, while the soundtrack peaked at number four on the Billboard 200.

The film also earned a Popstar! Poptastic Award for Favorite TV Movie, along with a JaNEWary Award for Best iTunes Song for “Determinate.”

To this day, Lemonade Mouth remains one of the most beloved and highly acclaimed Disney Channel Original Movies.

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 44

Mickey Mousekefan

BREAKING NEWS! The rumors are starting to become reality… Disney is bringing back in-person retail!

After closing most Disney Store locations in 2021, it has now been announced that, beginning this May, Disney fans can once again experience the magic of shopping in person. The company is launching new limited-time, immersive retail experiences, marking a major step toward reconnecting audiences with the brand in a physical space.

In collaboration with Go! Retail Group, Disney will introduce “Disney Store Limited Time” locations. These pop-up destinations are designed to bring Disney storytelling to life through engaging, interactive in-store experiences.

Alongside this announcement, the first two locations have been revealed:

* Ross Park Mall | Pittsburgh, PA — Opening May 23, 2026
* Westfield Garden State Plaza | Paramus, NJ — Opening Fall 2026

Featuring exclusive merchandise and signature elements inspired by classic Disney Store locations, such as opening ceremonies and immersive design, these experiences continue Disney’s mission to meet fans wherever they are, while celebrating the creativity, storytelling, and quality that define the brand.

With Josh D'Amaro seeking to bring more experiential storytelling, this could mark the beginning of a broader evolution for Disney retail.

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